The Dystonia Society

The Dystonia Society was established in 1983 by a small group of people affected by dystonia, with the support of the late Professor David Marsden.

The Society was established to promote the welfare of people who are affected by any form of the neurological movement disorder known as dystonia. The Society aims to do this by promoting awareness of the disorder, by supporting research and by undertaking welfare initiatives. It does this on a national level and through its network of local support groups.

Dystonia is the term used to describe uncontrollable and sometimes painful muscle spasms caused by incorrect signals from the brain. It is estimated to affect at least 70,000 people in the UK. There are a large number of different types of dystonia which affect people in widely differing ways. These are listed below.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder. Faulty signals from the brain cause muscles to spasm and pull on the body incorrectly. This forces the body into twisting, repetitive movements or abnormal postures. Sometimes the symptoms are accompanied by dystonic tremor.

Unfortunately there is not yet a cure. However, in the vast majority of cases, dystonia does not shorten a person's life span. Dystonia is thought to originate in part of the brain called the basal ganglia.